ИСТИНА

The exceptional socioeconomic and environmental factors which contribute to sustainable development balance of single-industry cities mostly are structural and paradigm changes in economy and functionality of enterprises after collapse of Soviet Union; the triple contradictions of interests: enterprise owner – regional government – local workers; downsizing and depopulation; domestic and foreign market conditions; pollution; the quality of life of local population, and other key factors. The rapidly changing resource, political and military role of the Arctic and its economy nowadays brings in new challenges and benefits to the sustainable development of the region and its mining communities. An ineffective governmental strategy for social services, human capacity building, socially-oriented regional budget and world/domestic demand for particular resource are therefore the major milestones.